Dallas

I just got back from visiting my parents in Dallas last week. We had a great time and the kids didn’t fight too much. We went to the library, had snow cones, went to Braum’s, went swimming, watched baseball and basketball, watched classic videos and So You Think You Can Dance and went to the Bolin Wildlife Exhibit. I got my mom hooked up with a DVR from Direct TV and AT&T DSL. We took the kids to see Over the Hedge and Cars. The boys helped Grandpa in the garden, rode the riding lawn mower (no grass was actually cut in the process), and helped repair a cut to the Direct TV wiring.

Dad was nice enough to take the kids fishing on two different nights (despite the near 100 degree temperatures)! The first night of fishing went okay. Helmut and Sam both caught around five fish. Dad helped Sam get her line in and then walked off to help someone else. When I looked back at her, she was walking backwards dragging a fish out of the water. She was so excited that she got one all by herself. Josh was not having a lot of luck. It took him a long time to get one, but once he did, they just kept coming. He must have caught five or six by the end of the night. Dad and Helmut took the kids again on Friday night while Mom and I did our scrapbooking thing at the church. From what I hear, they caught a fish every time they put their line in. Helmut even caught a big mouth bass that was rumored to be the size of two-dollar bills and then some (I guess that was the only measuring device on hand).

On Saturday night we went out to eat at the Spring Creek BBQ and to the rodeo. The kids loved the rodeo. I can’t believe that the boys are too old for the calf scramble. Sam forged ahead on her own, flip-flops and all. She was really sad that she didn’t get to participate in the Mutton Bustin’ (where they put a helmet and chest pad on anyone over the age of 4 and under 55 pounds…put them on the back of a sheep and see who can hold on the longest before falling off). We didn’t think it would go well since she only had flip-flops and a skirt on. We promised her next time she could do it, if she was properly dressed.

Mom and Dad showed us a great time. Now we are back home, and of course, the kids are bored. Josh has Cub Scout camp every night from 2:30 until 8:30. Other than that we are just hanging out, doing a little swimming and trying to stay out of one another’s hair. I informed my kids that their summer job was to learn how to get along with their siblings…we will see how that goes.